Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Driver Review

The Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 driver as its name suggests is the successor to the Nike VR_S Covert driver and thankfully I can report that this is a significant improvement to the original.

You still have the big cavity on the underside of the head that is the heart of the Covert range. However, it looks better, goes better, in fact, pretty much everything about it is better.

The cavity includes a new version of the FlyBrace technology that ties the sole of the head to the crown and provides the rigidity to transfer energy from your swing into the ball at impact.

This really improves the feel and makes the whole experience of using the club so much better than the original. The sound is solid and a little hollow thanks to the cavity, but is still good.

Nike place a lot of faith in their NexCOR face that aims to increase forgiveness and I would have to say that this does a good job in keeping up ball speeds wherever you hit it around the sweetspot.

The flight was medium to high, but you can adjust this using the flexloft adjustable hosel over a range of 4° from 8.5° to 12.5° in 1° steps. The more you change the loft the more you will change the lie as the face angle changes, but the camber on the sole manages to accomodate this as well as before.

It is quite easy to change the loft and the numbers marked on the hosel are clear and easy to understand. They combine well with the 3 different face angles of right, left and neutral to offer a setting for most people.

Changing the loft did have a big impact on the flight of the ball and the 3 additional lie settings mean there is a choice of 15 different options for getting the driver set up as you like it. However we would suggest not going right to the edges of the loft range as the driver did not seem to sit quite as well here.

Visually the crown is still red which looks good and thankfully the swoosh on the inside of the crown is a little smaller so it is less of a distraction.

There is also a Tour version of the Covert 2.0 and this has also had a good makeover.

Unusually for 'tour' models, the head is the same as the standard driver at 460cc, which I like to see as I am sure even better players need forgiveness occasionally.

It is a little taller and has a more classic pear shape at address, with an extended toe and a darker face compared to the silver of the standard version.

With the original Covert drivers, the Covert Tour driver was by far the better of the 2 models, but now they are closer, but I would still prefer the Tour version of the 2.0 as well.

As you would expect, the flight is a little more penetrating but the lower spin makes it more consistent too. When we spoke to Nike Tour player Scott Jamieson about the Nike Covert 2.0 Tour driver he said the biggest change was that his driver accuracy improved as well as his distance.

The feel was a little more lively at impact and the sound was a bit sharper. The cavity on the back of the head will create a different sound to a non-cavity driver, but the sound from the Covert 2.0 Tour was still reasonably pleasing.

Overall then the Nike Covert 2.0 is a big improvement, especially the standard version which is now worthy of consideration and if the price is right then you won't go wrong with it.

Like before, the Tour version is our choice of the two and better players will find that it is good fun to hit. It does cost aorund £80 more, but the results we had combined with Scott Jamieson's Tour experience, show that technically it is delivering better drives and so it is worth the extra investment.

What they both suffer from is a little something to make them stand out from the crowd as there are other models that maybe sound better, feel better and possibly look classier.

However after the last few versions of Nike drivers, we are pleased to report that Nike are back on the tee swinging.

User Reviews

December 2016

Most accurate driver I have played. I carry the ball 270 on Trackman. No change in distance from any other drivers I have used.

October 2016

Have just bought this and now played a couple of rounds. I found it consistently better for me as I have adjusted it to 10.5 and right which stops my slice. I have a high handicap. Used a Ping G10 and Ping K15 previously.

September 2016

Had the the 2.0 tour for 2 seasons, hated every round with it. Difficult driver to find the sweet spot. Also very heavy driver. Not recommended if you swing over 100mph unless you have very very consistent ball contact on the face. Ping all day!

September 2016

Best driver i've played with, it has given me more consistency, more accuracy off the tee. I haven't lost any distance compared with other drivers I've used and is very forgiving with off centre hits.

August 2016

Fairly forgiving, not the longest, very good look and feel, instant feedback on your shot.

August 2015

Accuracy at its finest.

July 2015

Best driver I ever hit. Not quiet as long as some drivers, but not much difference between distance and the accuracy is between left and right of center is by far most accurate I have hit.